Patches Are The Beauty Treatment You Didn't Know You Needed

When multi-masking started making the rounds in the U.S., we rejoiced in a technique that allowed us to target the different skin issues on different parts of our face — something very few allover masks are able to do effectively. The technique, which involves using a variety of masks simultaneously to treat different skin-care concerns, quickly became a common practice in many a beauty routine. Targeted skin care was a burgeoning category that we were excited to see evolve.

Well, say hello to patches, the evolution we've been waiting for. Like multi-masking, skin-care patches can be placed on areas of the face (and parts of the body!) to zero in on a myriad of issues. Unlike your run-of-the-mill mask, though, patches create a truly occlusive barrier on the skin that "pushes" active ingredients into the skin, which holds in moisture, eliminates the issue of evaporation, and makes them much more potent. Some patches flood the skin with a host of active ingredients, while others create a "cushion" effect that stops the skin from folding or creasing. Hell, there's even a microneedling patch now.

While there are a few less high-tech stickers and patches that have been on the market for a while, the past few years have seen a bevy of more high-tech, professional-quality skin-care patches hit the market. Ahead, we've gathered the ones that are truly pushing boundaries where innovation is concerned. Check out the slides, ahead, for the full breakdown.